Tales and Dragons - Little Collection of Ace Stories

The woman in the woods

There is a legend about the forest. All the locals know it. Do you want to hear it? Then listen closely, for the legend goes as follows...

A long time ago, when there were dragons in the sky and pixies in the trees, a wanderer came to our village. He was welcomed with open arms and the village folk laughed with him, welcomed him, and told him their stories. But when he asked if he could stay in their house for the night they turned him away. They wanted his attentions, but they did not really care about him. Yet, he still listened to all of their stories with a genuine smile, listened to them as if they were everything he needed. Then the sun went down and the doors were closed in his face. The wanderer found himself alone by the edge of the forest. Dusk turned into night. And just when the wanderer realised that he would have to spend the night outside, something very strange happened. Between the bushes and trees a thousand little lights appeared. They were floating in the air and it was all quite ... magical. The wanderer reached out and caught a light in the palm of his hand. Gone was his tiredness and hunger. He could only focus on the light. Before he could have a closer look, though, the light formed and stretched itself and took on a golden, almost human-like shape. And he was suddenly holding the hand of the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She gave him a secretive smile. In that moment he knew he would do anything to earn a chance to stay by her side. Forever. The woman turned around and led him into the forest. Deeper and deeper. Guided by the lights and her charm, he could not convince himself to be afraid. They walked until they reached a clearing in the middle of the forest. A circle of stones stood tall in its centre and the clearing was filled with all kinds of Little People singing and dancing on the soft grass. When they glimpsed the beautiful woman, they bowed deeply, for she was their Queen and they made way to let her and her wanderer step into the circle of stones. At her command plants from the ground and grew into two thrones. She invited him to sit on her right. Then she gave him another smile and spoke for the first time. Her voice was like dew in the the morning, a breeze in the heated midday sun, and the fiery evening sky at once, and the wanderer was lost.

"Wanderer, my dear man, you have come a long way to be with us. Would you do us the honour to entertain us with a story from your travels? You must have heard so many!"

Warmth filled the wanderer. These were the first people who wanted to hear him talk and no just be listened to. So he began his first story. The Little People adored it and he stayed with them for the rest of his human life.

According to the legend he has died many years ago. But sometimes, when you enter the forest and you are really quiet, you can hear his stories in the song of the birds and the whisper of the wind. You just have to close your eyes and to really listen

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Hi everybody. I had written this little story as a comment under the YouTube video that is linked above. For a few years the comments underneath this story had been my safe haven and my happy place. The people commenting on this story were wonderful, lovely people. Sadly, the video has been reuploaded a while a go and my comment and all the responses have been deleted. If any if the people commenting stumble over this little collection, I just wanted to say thank you again for your wonderful comments. And everyone who is new, welcome. I hope you like this, and the many other stories that'll follow. Stay and join me on a little adventure :)